Comments by WillP

Page 1 of 1

Posted on October 1 at 12:09 p.m.

So, If this "victim" of the shooting is approaching the policeman with a knife, refuses to stop, and drop the weapon, what else is the "victim" capable of?

If you're electing to use a taser or "hand to hand combat" instead of possible lethal force in this very dangerous and unpredictable situation, you are giving more rights to the "victim" than the police officer - are you really advocating that the police officer should have put his life at more risk because of an unpredictable person brandishing a large knife and refusing to stop and drop the weapon by a policeman?

Is obeying our laws in society now optional? When did this happen? Personal responsibility is optional as well ? Common sense optional as well?

Where was the victim's family to make sure this "mentally ill victim" as some people call him, wasn't walking around brandishing a large knife at the SBPD ? Convenient they only show up after the fact....and blame the SBPD

And finally Beach Girl, you are judging after the fact - what if the "victim" also had a gun ? Anything is possible with a person that doesn't stop and drop a weapon and keeps approaching....

What if the "victim" had injured a civilian - let's say a relative of yours ? Maybe this intervention halted any future tragedies - Do you walk around SB packing a knife ? Do your friends ? Your family ? If so, Are you in the Eastside gang or Westside gang ?

Nobody I know in SB walks around with a knife, and refuses to comply with the SBPD when asked....

It's always very sad when there is loss of life in Santa Barbara as in this situation. An ongoing investigation needs to be completed before all details are disclosed - otherwise the public will concentrate on maybe just one early detail and end up being unfair to perhaps both victim and the officer.

If you brandish a weapon in front of a police officer, there will be problems. If you're asked to drop that weapon several times, there will be real problems. If you continue walking towards the officer and still don't drop the weapon, there will be worse problems.

So in this situation should the officer risk his life by attempting another method of stopping the man with the knife? It seems that both persons have rights at this point. If the man refuses to drop his weapon, and continue towards the officer, what else is the man capable of at this point?

We don't know - is the answer. Yes, this is a tragedy and there is no way that the police officer feels good about it. I too would like to have transparency from the Police Department as well as from the victim's friends and family. Somehow I think I would know if a friend or relative is capable of brandishing a weapon at a police officer - and hopefully I could prevent such a similar tragedy.